Community Policing Forum members to stay at home during lockdown
The office of the Deputy National Commissioner, Lt Gen NS Mkhwanazi, has issued an instruction that Community Policing Forums are not deemed to be an essential service during the lockdown period, and its members should stay at home.
These additional instructions were sent from the National Crime Combatting Forum (NCCF), to all provincial police commissioners on 27 March.
The police appreciate the role played by communities in the fight against crime through CPFs, boards, National Consultative Forums, neighbourhood watches and community patrol systems, but the role, responsibilities and activities, as well as the nature of the voluntary work done by these structures and volunteers, are not deemed to be essential services under the current circumstances, the notice reads.
A directive were sent to all provincial commissioners requesting them bring to the attention of all members of the SAPS that CPFs are not deemed an essential service and that the health of volunteers, who constitute these key structures, under the current circumstances and in terms of the declaration of a state of disaster is deemed very important and as a result the patrols, meetings and movement of these members during the lockdown had to stop with immediate effect. Members were directed to stay at their homes until the end of the lockdown.
